Gray Maynard interested in fourth fight with Frankie Edgar

One of the most memorable trilogies in MMA’s modern era is unquestionably the series between lightweights Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar. Their rivalry most recently culminated in an exciting October meeting where then-champion Edgar battled back from being rocked to eventually stop Maynard with strikes, the only defeat the Ultimate Fighter 5 alumnus has ever suffered.

Unlike many trilogies, though the finish put a stamp on their trio of tilts it didn’t break a tie so much as created one thanks to a January 2011 Draw between Maynard-Edgar. With things at 1-1-1, the 32-year old Maynard has since said he’d like to give it one more go at some point in the future with the belt preferably being involved.

“The title has always been the goal,” initially explained Maynard in an interview with HeavyMMA before adding, “I would love to have the belt and somewhere along the line, get another fight with Edgar. We are 1-1-1 and we need to settle it once and for all. It has to happen eventually, and after that fight we can both be done. We can walk away knowing it’s over and that we gave MMA fans some great fights to look back on.”

“The lightweight division is like a drama. It is like a good soap opera that draws you in because it’s not built up off bullsh*t hype. There is no fake build-up where guys are talking a bunch of sh*t in order to get fan’s attention,” said an animated Maynard. “It’s all in the actual fights people are seeing, and it is the most competitive weight class in the UFC, hands down. The skill and heart displayed in our division is without comparison. We go out there, put it all on the line and get after it from bell to bell.”

Maynard is in such a tricky spot right now, concerning rematches.
If Edgar loses to Hendo, then Edgar/Maynard 4 makes sense divisionally speaking, (if he beats Guida). So does taking on the winner/loser of Diaz/Miller. They both hold loses to Maynard but it still makes sense in the division.
The only fighter at the top that hasn’t already faced Maynard is the Champ, and Gray doesn’t deserve a title shot again so soon, so that’s out.
I guess he could face Cerrone if he picks up a couple of wins or maybe Barboza if he gets by Dunham, but there really isn’t anyone at the top for Maynard that he hasn’t already faced.

Gray has one ugly win over Edgar, should have won the second fight but didnt come in the kind of shape he needed to be in to keep up a decent pace and got a draw, again should have won the third fight but yet again conditioning prevented him from taking advantage of anything and Edgar koed him. He needs to prove he can be more than a 1 round fighter before he talks of a 4th match with Edgar.